> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://edn.as/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # MIFF 2026: A Girl Unknown - URL: https://edn.as/miff-2026-a-girl-unknown/ - Published: 2026-08-18T14:30:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-08-19T00:47:30.000Z - Description: The film follows the life of a girl, from a kid to adolescence. It has time skips and sort of chapters, though the chapters are not the same length. The pacing feels so well done, not too fast and not too slow. No part of the story over welcomed their stay, even with the deliberate cinematic style. - Author: Sande Harsa - Tags: movie-review, miff-2026 Melbourne International Film Festival 2026 is ongoing and I went to watch my ninth session (of 13!) This post my short review of ‘A Girl Unknown’ > For context: I am a photographer/youtuber that wants to up my cinematography and storytelling, that’s why I’m watching 13 sessions at the film festival PLUS reviewing them here on my blog! ## **Why did I choose to watch this?** I like movies that borrows real historical phenomena and make a fictional story out of it. I could imagine a similar story happening in the world, or even was used as a basis for the story. This film in particular centres the one-child policy in China and a patriarchal society. Moreover, I like watching non-English films, and I haven’t watched many Mandarin ones in particular so this is a good chance for me to do so. Would I watch more? Well, let’s go into what I think about this one! *All images courtesy of miff.com.au* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4f/164f5675-f8de-440a-ae0a-ebe2c9767c26/content/images/2026/08/IMG_7156.jpeg) ## **Who would I recommend this to?** People who like deep stories being told in a cinematic package. Those who like films set in a the 80s-90s, perhaps you grew up during that period and find them nostalgic. The feeling of the film reminds me of ‘Past Lives’, maybe even some of the cinematography. The stories are very different, but it has a similar “quality”. *Spoilers ahead* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4f/164f5675-f8de-440a-ae0a-ebe2c9767c26/content/images/2026/08/IMG_7157.jpeg) ## **Structure** The film follows the life of a girl, from a kid to adolescence. It has time skips and sort of chapters, though the chapters are not the same length. The pacing feels so well done, not too fast and not too slow. No part of the story over welcomed their stay, even with the deliberate cinematic style. The transitions between one ‘chapter’ to another are abrupt, almost as if depicting the protagonist’s abrupt life changes. One of the most enjoyable pacing and structure this MIFF. Actually reminds me of ‘Sorry, Baby’ from last year, which I also really like. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4f/164f5675-f8de-440a-ae0a-ebe2c9767c26/content/images/2026/08/IMG_7158.jpeg) ## **Narrative** The story follows a girl moving from one family to another, from one parent figure to another. Mostly not feeling like she belongs. The background context is the one child policy in China. As the synopsis said, her dad passed away, then the mom found a new partner and got pregnant. Since the mom can only have one child, the protagonist was let go. She then goes through periods of grief, as a child not understanding why things are happening. Piecing together information about her adoptive family. The story has ebb and flows where the protagonist shows glimpses of belonging and joy before it being taken away by the adults around her. She tries to muster the little self-agency that she has but keeps getting broken down, directly and indirectly. The title ‘A Girl Unknown’ refers to needing to have her name changed when going from family to family. I wrote “have her name changed” instead of “changing her name” because she ever took parts in the decision, or even made to understand. All together, the narrative is powerful. It’s one that I would watch again like I would re-read a good book. It’s touching, griping, and even has you at the edge of your sit without being overly dramatic - so just by telling the story ‘the way it is’ ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4f/164f5675-f8de-440a-ae0a-ebe2c9767c26/content/images/2026/08/IMG_7159.jpeg) ## **Cinematography** The film has the kind of cinematography that I enjoy the most, I just realised this. To describe it, they use stationary camera angles to take a shot of a scene where the actors move in and out of that frame. Relying on good audio design for the audience to get what’s happening off screen. I find that it reels you in, in a natural way. It’s like when you sit down at your sofa and watch TV, maybe there’s a family member in the kitchen rustling about making food then eventually show up into your field of vision carrying a sandwich. When you heard the sounds, your subconscious mind (or maybe conscious mind) start to imagine what they are doing, then when they show up, you piece it together and your brain is satisfied with the resolution of the tiny mystery. That sort of shots was the main style of the film. Even the moving shots would have pan in one direction, for example, a side view of a character riding their bike with the camera moving the same speed as the bike. And another example of the characters walking on the beach, the camera is set up to shoot the coastline and move the same speed as their walking speed. I feel these shots gave a relaxed feeling and move forward the story subtly. There are of course shots that break that pattern. A Birds Eye view of a car going through the hills. Close up shots that accentuates the actor’s facial expressions. Amazing underwater shots that look like a dream. As I said, I came to realise that this is the cinematography style that I like the most. Perhaps part of it is that I can see frames that are just well composed photos (and I’d classify myself as photographer first rather than videographer). I find it satisfying to be able to point to a style of film and say “I like it because X”, I guess that’s the point of me writing all these reviews! ## **Outro** ‘A Girl Unknown’ is a film about belonging in a world that doesn’t want you to belong. A feeling that can be extrapolated to something relevant to many people in the continually more globalised world today. Of course, specifically, it’s a glimpse into the effect of China’s one child policy - if you grew in that policy or simply curious about it then I believe this movie is a great insight to one of the stories.